By standing stock still they would cruise into range. If they saw a fly land, they would bolt, but a very long, slow drift allowed them to find the fly and gulp it down. Magnificent 2lb cuts. I hope the photos of do them justice. Back to the campground.

Woke about 7am and by 8am was fishing the Lamar. Several risers were taking tiny stuff, took two on a large dun pattern. One good one about 2lb, lots more followed, most about 1-1½lb.

By 11am I had only fished two long, flat pools. I drove back to Slough Creek, had some lunch and tried further up. I wanted to see it all. This stream is famous and I needed a good look at it. I picked up two cruisers, one of which had me out to the backing – fighting and jumping like a rainbow, and the second fought like a brown. Cuts are considered dumb as trout go, but they were great fun anyway.

Returned to tower falls late afternoon. Walked down the gorge track to

the Yellowstone where the streams meet. Parts of the hills are white with soda rock, nothing grows, it stinks of sulphur, everything is alkaline encrusted.

I caught several small fish here, they all came up for the dun, fished blind in the rough ripple water. Hiked back up the track and was knackered at the end having fished three famous rivers in a single day. Slept like a baby, bears never entered my dreams.

Tuesday. I remembered yesterday was my birthday. I spend it on Slough Creek. One to remember.

I headed up the road to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Yellowstone Falls. I recommend anyone going there to visit Artist

Point. It is too awesome to attempt to describe. The battery in my camera is flat and I can’t get an adapter for the charger anywhere, so no pictures for the next couple of days, maybe in West Yellowstone I will pick one up.

I fished the top meadows of the Gibbon for 10” brook trout. These beautiful fish are a delight to the eye. They sparkle with white tips and blue and purple spots. I caught 15 or so before moving on.

Gibbon Meadows sees a much larger stream, 40 feet wide with deep undercut banks, heavy weed growth and open sandy patches.

It meanders around this open meadow. I returned about 18-20 brownies that smashed the black NZ cicada, sometimes they must have seen it coming through the air, slashing at it as it landed. They

were the most willing fish I have ever seen. I will have to photograph these sections on the way back.

The Gibbon joins the Madison at Madison Junction, where the Firehole enters. The Madison meadows are incredible. Grazing elk herds in the distance, meandering Madison much like the Ahuriri in New Zealand. It is only waist deep but wider than two Breakaway bends.

Volcanic rocks litter the stream bed with bank of weed between the head sized boulders. The surface is a continuous ripple 200 metres wide, and as far as the eye can see upstream and downstream. The Madison is a giant version of the Gibbon.

>>next